Mount Bluesmore poll: Muddy Waters VS Howlin' Wolf VS Sonny Boy Williamson

Inspired by Christgau's review of Elmore James's Sky Is Crying

"Robert Palmer (the important one, I mean) raided the vaults of eight mostly deceased labels to assemble this compiler's tour de force, designed to prove that his man belongs on Mount Bluesmore with Muddy, Wolf, and Sonny Boy II."

http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=Elmore+James

i love them all, but im going with Muddy.

Muddy, but only 'cuz it gets me Little Walter, too

Wolf

i like sonny boy a lot but this is impossible. btw is there anyone else whose birth dates are disputed in this wide-ranging a timespan??

Year of birth

Born as Aleck Ford on the Sara Jones Plantation in Tallahatchie County, Mississippi, his date and year of birth are a matter of uncertainty. He claimed to have been born on December 5, 1899, but one researcher, David Evans, claims to have found census record evidence that he was born around 1912. His gravestone lists his date of birth as March 11, 1908.

Sonny Boy is amazing. The voice, the lyrics, the harmonica, the general evil badass mood.

On the other hand, Wolf's second album is a monster

Look at this thing

Side one

1. "Shake for Me" – 2:12
2. "The Red Rooster" – 2:22
3. "You'll Be Mine" – 2:25
4. "Who's Been Talkin'"(Howlin' Wolf) – 2:18
5. "Wang Dang Doodle" – 2:18
6. "Little Baby" – 2:45

Side two

1. "Spoonful" – 2:42
2. "Going Down Slow"(St. Louis Jimmy Oden) – 3:18
3. "Down in the Bottom" – 2:05
4. "Back Door Man" – 2:45
5. "Howlin' for My Baby" – 2:28
6. "Tell Me"(Howlin' Wolf) – 2:52

Mostly written by Dixon of course

First blues album I ever bought. Killer.

howlin' wolf -- no diss to the other guys, but Wolf is my fave.

Wolf hits me on a more visceral level than Muddy, but they're both unimpeachable, obv.

BTW, I thought I had seen Muddy vs. Wolf recently...

Muddy Waters vs Howlin' Wolf

I was aware of that poll, but wanted to throw Sonny Boy in and encourage some blues discussion around here

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

people, people, The Essential Sonny Boy Williamson is the best thing to happen since Star Time!!

http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-essential-sonny-boy-williamson-mca-chess-r170201

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

how can you not love that voice (Howlin' Wolf). so earthy, so friendly, so...awesome.

My God, Sonny Boy is so awesome.

https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/mystery-sonny-boy-williamson/

Sonny Boy Williamson vs Sonny Boy Williamson II